The concept and practices associated with learning in later life provide a broad context for understanding the articles published in the IJLE. The main aim of this review is to identify dominant aspects in discourses on older learners in the IJLE and how they have changed over the decades. Hence, we identify and briefly discuss historical trends…

This study discusses the continuously growing threat to senior citizens*), later called seniors, who can be isolated from society if their digital competencies and experiences are too poor in today's digital world. To cope with one's pursuits, seniors need to actively construct and maintain their capabilities in flexible ways in the world of…

The need in the public sector is to help people 60+ years of age in the safe, practical use of technology for business, personal use, and family interaction, as this group is targeted more than others for technology fraud. The practice-focused question centers around which topics need to be part of technology fraud pilot training to reduce the…

Many critical educational philosophies assume that learners are naïve and unable to critically read their social reality. Critical educational gerontology (CEG) aims to emancipate learners from oppression, to which they are oblivious. This strand of older adult education charges teachers with the task of raising learners' naïve consciousness, by…

This article explores the experiences of a group of women who having achieved success in education and returned to the adult learning environment again. A creative methodological approach allows the women to describe in their own words experiences of educational success and motivations to return to learning. Discussion points predominantly focus…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a period of unprecedented uncertainty, profoundly affecting societies worldwide. Older adults often faced heightened risks of isolation and health complications. As research in the aftermath of the pandemic has sought to understand its multifaceted impacts, there remains a notable gap in examining older…

The guiding principles of the education of older adults have been stated in three landmark publications. In their statements of principles, the authors of those publications affiliated themselves with one of two older-adult learning philosophies: a humanist or a critical one. Thirty years since the first statement, the field of educational…

This book examines the unique characteristics of teaching foreign languages to senior learners. It discusses the potential age-related barriers and learning difficulties which may be encountered in senior foreign language education as well as solutions to overcome these challenges. The author describes the processes of human aging from different…

A survey of online adult Jewish learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed some key elements that have drawn learners aged 65-75 to continued online study. These key elements may play a role in future learner choices and, therefore, might be considered by adult Jewish learning providers in the post-pandemic period. The shift to online…

This study explored the complex relationships between immigration, volunteering, and life-long learning among older adults. It investigated adult teaching and learning and active ageing from the perspective of immigrant volunteer instructors of English as additional language. Using a grounded theory method (GTM), comprising a combination of…

There has not been ample recent research on teaching older adults. However, as described below, there is mounting research in how and why older adults want to learn. This brief discussion is derived from work undertaken for a workshop in Hong Kong on issues in teaching older adults. It combines recent research on learning and teaching in higher…

This article investigates the engagement of universities in older adult education in the specific context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Initially, the broader context of the tertiary education system and the place of universities within it are explained. Not unexpectedly adult education, and particularly older adult education, exists only on the…

This article is about education and learning for the "retired". In using this term, it is recognised that any such definitions and given age bands cover a wide range of situations and learning needs. Such diversity should closely inform the educational agenda for older adults, and as it is a life phase defined by challenge and change…

In this paper, we explore the concept of Nannagogy, an innovative pedagogy of informal adult learning enacted by the activist 'disorganisation', the Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed (KNAGs). The 'Nannas' are predominantly older women who undertake non-violent direct action using fibre craft, knit-ins, lock-ons, and occasional street theatre…

This article examines the character of older adult education provision in two universities at opposite ends of the globe. The universities of Waikato (New Zealand) and Strathclyde (Scotland) are analysed in terms of specific domains: funding, curriculum and provision, older people's participation and university-community relationships. These two…